ZINspiration Monday with Megan

Megan overcame domestic violence and reclaimed her health. A true inspiration!


My story started 22 years ago at the age of 23. On a cold day in January I almost lost my life to domestic violence. I was a survivor. Somehow, someway I picked myself up off the ground pulled up my boots and strode forward into the world where I would no longer be a victim.

Fast forward five years and I meet the man who saved my life. He is my rock. Funny thing about being happy, married, having children, you start to put on weight. Nothing noticeable at first, just a little every year. Fast forward another fifteen years and OMG one day I look in the mirror and I am huge! Did I mention I was a smoker too? for 29 long years!

My husband continually tried to get me to exercise, and I continually told him I was allergic. I told him if dancing became a exercise program I would exercise. My oldest daughter signed up as a member to a gym and called me that night. "OMG, you have to check out this exercise class called Zumba! You will love it!"

I went to my first class, chunky, pack a day smoker...and couldn't make it through even half the class without being bent over and huffing and puffing. But I loved it, and stuck with it.

Two years later I became an instructor myself. At the time I had lost 60 pounds and gone from a size 14 to a size 6.

Now why did I say anything about the domestic violence? It doesn't really fit? Oh yes but it does. Even 20 years later I still had problems with being myself in front of strangers. I was not outgoing, I was introvert, and very untrusting of people I didn't know. Becoming an instructor and getting in front of a class was one of the scariest things I ever did in my life. Just to smile seemed painful...but then something magical happened...they smiled back and laughed and whooped and danced and had a wonderful time and I realized that I could live outside of myself for the first time in over a decade. Zumba truly changed my life.